Hello, started sewing on an old Vickers hand sewing machine, I used to make teddy bears on it, they are god machins, when I started with a new electric sewing machine it took ages to stop my hand reaching up to turn the wheel, I dont know how ever used it now , I hope you have lots of fun with it

I love that top tip of trying a block in different fabic before cutting up the fabrics you have bought for the project, I suppose it also helps in case you have problems with constuction too. Your quilts look very professional, the log cabin is great, Ruth

at least you enter the competions, if I could remember to get some stamps it would be a good start, as for pressing seams, unless specified to press seams open which is needed for some pattens i would normally press to the dark side,

Hi Julie, Are you talking about ,foundation piecing or paper piecing, quit often this incorperates bilding 3 or 4 parts of a block and then joining them, if it is there are lots of examples and instuctions at the Quilters cashe, a fab web site,Ruth

Hello Irene, just wanted to say this is a great pictorial quilt, I have just done a project on the history of pictorial quilts and your is really grreat, were did you get that cloud print from?,have you been quilting for a long time?, I hope that you have lablled it !!

what is theme for the competition that you want to enter? Is the festival of quilts the one at sandown? I wanted to enter this year but I had a baby Boy instead...Ha HA...I have just Finish course that showed s a great design prosees to help you find inspiration an choose colours and things like that, let me Know if you want some help, its great fun to go to a show and having something you made hanging up, evean if you dont win, good luck Ruth

Hello every one recieved the beautiful Christmas fabric prize int the post yesturday, thankyou very much they are lovely, I am taking them to my P&Q class today to show my tutor and freinds, we can access the web there so i will show them what we have been doing, happy xmas sewing to all Ruth

A while ago I was talking to someone about how the our cats like to 'help' with the patchwork and quilting, Our cat vegas thinks it help to sit behind the sewing machine, sits on any newly ironed piece of material, or anything you about to use or pic upand he like to watch me do the ironing, I thought it would be fun if people had picture of there cats helping to share them, this is Vegas

I have been making quilted Christmas gifts since august, I wanted to get some gifts made for family before my second year P&Q course started, I started with a chistmas table runner for my sister then I had the idea to do a local Christmas fair, I just have not stopped, I have made seven xmas themed table runner ,5 pot holders,5 book covers complete with diaries, 2 sholder bags,4 make up bags, 2 tea cosies, 2 pincushions and a neddle case so far...... I figured what ever is left over can go to friends and family and I will still have time for special projects before the big day, I will add a picture of the whole lot soon....

I cannot drive so getting to shows means coxing my mother to take me, which she normally does, this year i went to the national quilt championships at sandown by coach but i only found out about the coach through my tutur, I searched the internet which was fruitless, does any one know where to get info from? is there a comany that does this type of thing? thanks Ruth

Its true patience is a vertrue , one that I do not pocess, I actually new about the competion to win the inpaitient patchworker book as I had been asking for a recomendation for a book that had clear instructions for quilted gifts, Katy rcomended some books to me and told me about the upcoming competion, but I couldnt wait for a whole month to see if I won and ordered the book that very same day, hows that for impaient. ( By the way its a great book)

I am totally hooked on patchwork and quilting, I love piecing by machine and quilting by machine, its so fast and precise, I wake up thinking about quilting projects and what I will attempt that today and dream about it at night I've got it bad. Has anyone else noticed how the house work goes out the window, I mean I do the washing up and washing and the rest of it but the iron only sees Patchwork and fat quaters now....luckily my husband is not in the kind of work that needs shirts and things...and if he was he could do the himself......... anyway back to the sewing room..... Ruth

Hello, just a note about sewing machines, if you know someone that has or uses one have a go on theres any good sewing machine shop should give you a demonstation and let you have a go too, My tutur really likes Beninas ( i think that how its splelt ) I have a silver think about what you want and do some resurch before investing, i like a machine to have speed control and a doulble lifting foot, also a walking foot is great , if your on a tight buget charity shops often get casts offs, good luck newbies ruth